A major exhibition of the work of internationally renowned Columbian artist Fernando Botero is coming to the Winnipeg Art Gallery, a WAG first. The Baroque World of Fernando Botero opens December 10, continuing until February 27.

“This exhibition is the first major retrospective of Botero’s work to tour in North America since the late 1970s, and the first time the WAG has displayed his art,” says Director Stephen Borys. “The Musée National des Beaux-Arts du Quebec saw gallery attendance of 125,000 people during the run of the exhibition there and it also did well at the Glenbow Museum in Calgary. Although at times misunderstood or underappreciated by critics, Botero has emerged as a major figure in 20th century South American art. This exhibition provides audiences with the opportunity to explore the work of an artist who chose not to conform, opting to follow his own personal vision.”

Botero creates a world of his own that blends violence, humour, and beauty. His images of his native country and its inhabitants combine brilliant colour, cultural identity, and political satire.

“Botero draws on the opulence of Baroque art for his inspiration,” says Helen Delacrataz, WAG Chief Curator. “Baroque art seethed with emotion, sensuality, monumental forms, and convoluted and exaggerated drapery. Botero uses this same energy and tension to great effect, manipulating, compressing, and experimenting with the dimensions and proportions of his subject matter.”

The 100 works on display are from the artist’s personal collection with some of them being displayed for the first time. Among the most impressive works are three monumental bronze sculptures including the 4,000 pound Smoking Woman.

TALKS
Life and Death in the Tropics: Columbia and Latin America in the Art of Fernando Botero
Sun, December 12, 2pm • Included with exhibition admission • With Jorge Nállim, Assistant Professor of History at the University of Manitoba.

Botero, Originality and the Lure of the PastSun, February 13, 2pm • Included with exhibition admission • Join Winnipeg artist Tom Lovatt on an exploration of the artwork of Fernando Botero as we examine our assumptions about the purposes of art, the role of the artist in society, and how we ascribe meaning and value to what we see.

FAMILY SUNDAY Sun, January 30, 1:30–4pm • Botero or Bust • Grab a Gallery passport and tour the wonderful world of Colombian artist Fernando Botero. Catch the South American vibe with dance troupe Folklore De Mi Tierra. Create your own Botero-inspired work of art.

CREATIVE WRITING WORKSHOP
Write to Art: creative writing and the visual arts
Sun, January 29, 2-5pm • Explore art in a new way! Acclaimed writers Debbie Schnitzer and Marjorie Anderson will lead a writing workshop responding to the work of Colombian artist Fernando Botero. Participants will go beyond simply looking whilst learning new creative and interpretive strategies involving their own writing and the visual arts.